


What's in a Name

by violentwhistles



Category: Inception (2010)
Genre: Ficlet, Fluff, Humor, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-06
Updated: 2018-12-06
Packaged: 2019-09-12 17:20:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 721
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16877028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/violentwhistles/pseuds/violentwhistles
Summary: Eames looks back up at Arthur and asks, incredulously, "Your last name is Cole?"Arthur is midway thru fastening his cufflinks when he stops, squinting in a way that reminds him far too much of Cobb. "Are you- what? No. My first name is Cole."





	What's in a Name

**Author's Note:**

> This is a ficlet I've been sitting on for YEARS that I could never get to fit in anything. So please have some Inception fic in 2018 because why the hell not?

They've been fucking for a few weeks when it happens.

Arthur is in the bathroom, fresh out of the shower and engaging in some sort of ritual skin care routine, as Eames rifles through his most personal and most illegal belongings.  
  
"Which one am I looking for again?" Eames calls from his spot on the bed. He's relaxed in the way he only is right after they fuck, where he feels boneless and doesn't want to move for hours. He's learned Arthur can bask for about ten minutes tops before he gets restless and wants to go shower. At least he ususally gives Eames the courtesy of leaving the bathroom door open and letting him watch.  
  
"Fuller, the American," he answers.  
  
Eames shuffles the passports around. Arthur's got nine on him at the moment, but Eames isn't stupid enough to think Arthur doesn't have one hidden in every country they work. He shuffles through them like a deck in his hands, _Canada_ , _Italy_ , _another Canada, Sweden, America._  
  
He flips open the American one and is met with a photo of a much younger Arthur. _Arthur, Cole. 33_. He's about to close it, because it's clearly not the one he's looking for, but the photo grabs his attention. Eames takes a moment to appreciate what Arthur would have look liked if they had met ten years ago. Arthur looks about twenty in the picture which is still a good look, because any look is a good look on Arthur, but he's not sure if this photo is still passable.  
  
He checks the date and says to Arthur, who's wandered over to the closet now, "Oi, Arthur Cole has expired, love. Might want to toss him."  
  
"Well I haven't been back to the states recently enough to take care of that," Arthur says. He lays his suit jacket on the bed next to Eames' feet. Eames watches the flex of his arms as he pulls on a crisp white dress shirt. "Besides, you only get one legitimate passport. Seems stupid to throw it away."  
  
Eames looks at the passport in his hands as he works out Arthur's meaning, "This is.... This is real? Like you applied for this through the actual government with an actual social security number?" Then Eames looks back up at Arthur and asks, incredulously, "Your last name is Cole?"  
  
Arthur is midway thru fastening his cufflinks when he stops, squinting in a way that reminds him far too much of Cobb. "Are you- what? No. My first name is Cole."  
  
Eames feels like he's having an aneurysm. "Your first name is Cole," He repeats.  
  
"Yes." Arthur somehow has the audacity to look perplexed, like he's genuinely confused Eames hadn't figured this out on his own, "We've been sleeping together for weeks and you didn't know my first name?"  
  
"Apparently not! I thought it was Arthur! And that's not fair. Do you know _my_ first name?"  
  
Arthur stands, unmoving.  "So I'm guessing it's not Eames?"  
  
“See!” Eames exclaims, “You don’t know mine either.”  
  
Arthur rolls his eyes as he reaches over and grabs the stack of documents, "Look, No one's called me anything but Arthur for the last six years."  
  
"Six years," Eames does the math. "So Cobb knows this?"  
  
Arthur frowns, “My name? Of course Cobb knows my name.”  
  
Eames' reply is interrupted by his phone's alarm, reminding him that they do in fact have a flight they need to leave for in fifteen minutes.  
  
"Hurry up and get dressed, if we miss that flight Yvette can and will replace us," Arthur says. He puts the Fuller passport into his jacket pocket, and slides the extra ones into a compartment in the lining of his carry on.  
  
"Okay, okay." Eames gets up slowly, stretches a bit, entirely for Arthur's benefit, who looks at him like a man who wasn't fucking him senseless 30 minutes ago. Eames kisses him, just because he can. "Sure thing, Cole."  
  
Arthur looks a bit exasperated, "Is this going to be a thing now?"  
  
"No," Eames lies.  
  
He starts to walk away but Arthur grabs his arm, "Hey, this should go without saying, but that name stays between us.”  
  
"Rupert Eames Thomas," Eames says, leaning in for another kiss, "So we're square, yeah?"  
  
Arthur sighs, "The middle name. Should've guessed it was the middle name."


End file.
